00:00Housing targets are one of the biggest pressures on councils because they shape where homes, roads and local services may
00:08go.
00:09In Litchfield, district councillors are examining whether the timetable for a new local plan should be pushed back by two
00:16years.
00:17Council leaders have backed moving the expected approval date from 2027 to 2029.
00:24The plan is intended to guide development across the district until 2040 and could involve 15,666 new homes over
00:35that period.
00:36The council says the delay would allow more time to respond to higher government housing targets.
00:42Those targets rose from 289 homes a year to 746, creating fresh pressure over where future growth should be placed.
00:55Councillor Alex Farrell says extra time would help the authority consider options, including new settlements and planned growth in locations.
01:03However, Labour opposition leader, Councillor Russ Brager, has called the decision in for scrutiny, warning of risks if the process
01:12slips again.
01:14He has questioned whether the council can complete a new plan before possible local government reorganisation changes the planning authority.
01:23In its powers, the scrutiny committee can ask the cabinet to reconsider.
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